‘Star Wars Episode 7′: How Secret Will the Production Be?

Director JJ Abrams is infamous for keeping details on his projects on the down low, so many people have already begun speculating what will go on with the production of 'Star Wars Episode 7.' If there's one thing we learned from watching the production of the prequel trilogy, it's that 'Star Wars' fans are as passionate as they are nosy and if there's one thing we've learned from 'Star Trek Into Darkness,' it's that Abrams plays things close to the vest. A recent interview with LucasFilm honcho Kathleen Kennedy shed some light on this whole situation.

Speaking with Screen Slam, Kennedy made it clear that while they would keep things quiet, they probably weren't going to be following Abrams' "Mystery Box" approach to filmmaking. In other words, we'll probably know who the main bad guy in 'Star Wars Episode 7' is long before the film actually hits theaters.

In fact, Kennedy admitted that the best way to deal with leaks and set photos is to adopt a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality and keep the fans in the loop at all times. Here's the full quote:

We talk about that all the time. I think the whole issue of confidentiality is gonna be fascinating as we move into making the movie. If we’re shooting anything outside, it’s almost impossible to not have things end up on the Internet. So my feeling is, you need to embrace that, especially with the fans around something like Star Wars. You need to recognize they’re important to the process and acknowledge there are things you’re gonna want to make sure they get to know. So I think that’s something we’re going to monitor, pay attention to and think differently about.

We're reminded of how 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and its sequel released official photos of the Spider-Man costume in the days before outdoor filming began, letting fans get a good look at the costume as it should look before a bunch of terrible paparazzi photos could give everyone a bad first impression. In the internet age, you have to anticipate things like that happening. You also have to realize that fans are always crazy for details on their favorite franchises and that it's better to keep them in your pocket than alienate them. Kennedy seems to get this.